Shahin Akhter
Amid the academic activities coming to a near halt in most public universities triggered by a wave of resignation from top officials, the Secondary and Higher Education Division on Thursday in an order asked the universities tackling the situation to allow a senior teacher to carry out the administrative and finance related tasks on a temporary and urgent basis.
The division’s office order said that the senior teachers would carry out the activities in consultation with the dean councils or department chairs concerned.
The resignations have left vacant most of the top administrative positions in most public universities for about one and half a months now.
Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 amid a mass uprising led by students many vice-chancellors stepped down simultaneously in an unprecedented scenario.
They resigned from their position amid the allegation of heavy politicisation of the universities especially in the past 15 years of the Awami League-led regime.
Pro vice-chancellors, registrars, treasurers, proctors, deans, provosts, syndicate members, wardens and house tutors also resigned in many universities, while at some universities as many as 70 or more officials resigned at one go.
Dhaka University former professor Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq said that since the country’s independence the relationship between the government and the university authorities as well as students was never good.
‘Whichever party came to power it picked up the teachers who had affiliation with them and had them run the universities, triggering disagreement with others negatively impacting the institutional activities,’ he said.
Abul Quasem said that the government should not interfere in the internal affairs of the universities.
The resignations almost entirely paralysed the academic, administrative and other activities at these public universities.
Students have returned to the residential halls but in most of these institutions no classes and examinations are being held.
Even administrative activities as simple as receiving resignation letters from other officials by the vice-chancellor are being hampered.
Current and former students are also facing difficulties to get their certificates from the registrars’ offices.
Principals of different colleges, including Dhaka College and Rajshahi College, have also applied for transfer surrendering to the demands from the students.
Educationists have, meanwhile, stressed the urgency of resuming academic activities in the public universities.
Professor Muhammad Fazli Ilahi, who once led as vice-chancellor the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, and also the Islamic University of Technology, said that all concerned must work together to overcome the current stagnation in the tertiary level institutions.
‘Now the students are busy in the relief work for the flood affected,’ he said, adding, ‘after the flood, we have no other option but to send back the students to the classroom.’
Education is the indicator of a nation’s progress, said Fazli Ilahi, who was also a mechanical engineering professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
The Education ministry should take the lead to bring back the normal academic environment in the public universities by appointing officials in the vacant posts immediately, discuss with the teachers and students to know their problems and take initiative to check the damages to the institutions made during the protest, he continued.
Fazli Ilahi said that the students should not be taught party affiliation and rather should be taught the contents which would help them build the country.
‘Without the normal academic atmosphere country’s development is not possible,’ he added.
The educationist also said that the situation also brought the interim government the chance to appoint the right person in the right place, which was itself a big challenge.
SMA Faiz, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said that at present the students were busy in fulfilling their new duties amid the changes.
‘By this time, before the students return to the classroom, the government should fulfil these vacant posts as soon as possible,’ he continued.
SMA Faiz said that the officials especially the vice-chancellors should be the people who did not hold any ambition for the position and was respected, who had academic excellence and had knowledge of administrative work.
‘It is a big challenge and at the same time it is a big opportunity for the government to place the right person at the right position,’ he added.
Out of 56 public universities, vice-chancellors of 29 universities resigned till Wednesday, as per the education ministry.
The wave of resignation began on August 5 with the vice-chancellor and five other senior officials at Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University tendering resignation from their posts.
The resignations of the top officials in the public universities began as students gave them ultimatums to do so on allegations of aiding the previous Awami League regime and the police against the students during the quota reform movement leading to the eventual mass uprising to topple Sheikh Hasina from power.
According to the authorities concerned, at Rajshahi University at least 75 top administrative officials, including proctor and 11 assistant proctors, at Khulna University at least 70 officials, including the pro-vice chancellor, treasurer, acting registrar, provosts of the dormitories and syndicate members, and from Dhaka University two pro vice-chancellors, registrar, 13 deans, 13 officials from the proctorial body and seven provosts resigned.
Most recently, the education ministry appointed two vice-chancellors in two public universities on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On July 1, students of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University began the quota reform protest.
Authorities announced public university closure on July 17 amid the student protest turning to mass uprising. The education ministry reopened all educational institutions under it from August 18.
‘When the entire country’s political and socio-economic situation will improve the situation in the public universities will improve, too’ Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq expressed hope.
– Article originally appeared on New Age.
